What's New For The Cheerleading Worlds

The Cheer Worlds Advisory Board met to discuss and finalize updates for The Cheerleading Worlds in 2016. Please read below for important new information and to prepare for Worlds next year!

COACH REQUIREMENTS

Must be credentialed in either Building, Tumbling  or both  up to the level at which their team competed at the bid-qualifying event and will compete at The Cheerleading Worlds.

Must be recognized as a USASF Professional Member.

Non-coaching owners may enter the warm-up room with their team if they meet requirements of Professional Membership and they are accompanied by a coach who meets the above requirements.

ELIGIBLE ATHLETES, SUBSTITUTIONS & ALTERNATES

A Maximum of 10 substitutions will be allowed per team for Large Division Teams

A Maximum of 8 substitutions will be allowed per team for Medium & International Open Division Teams

A Maximum of 6 substitutions will be allowed per team for Small Division Teams

Note: Each of these numbers do include the 3 "wild card" alternates that may be substituted. (described below)

A substitute must be a regular paid participant from another team at the same gym and must have competed "on the floor" with that team from that gym at the same event where the bid was awarded. All substitutes must meet the same eligibility requirements as the original team that was awarded a bid (i.e. age, etc).

Of the 6, 8 or 10 possible substitutes, one to three of those may be "Wild Card" alternates. "Wild Card" alternates are registered members of the same team's gym where the bid was received. Alternates do not have to be rostered or in attendance at the Worlds bid qualifying event where the bid was received.

U.S. TEAM ELIGIBILITYAthletes must be legal residents or legal student residents of the U.S. For more information about legal residency, legal student residency and/or Visa requirements please visit U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). If you have questions about this USASF Worlds policy, please email Matt McDonough.

SMALL AND LARGE INTERNATIONAL OPEN COED DIVISIONS AS WORLDS DIVISIONS

The IOC-5 Cheerleading Worlds Divisions will be split out by small (1-4 males) and large (5-12 males)

The IOC-6 Cheerleading Worlds Divisions will be split out by small (1-4 males) and large (5-15 males)

WORLDS TRAILSDue to the new splits in the International Open Coed Divisions, there will only be an IO-5 Canadian Worlds Trials and IO-5 & IOC-5 US Worlds Trials.

REPLACEMENTS AND/OR SUBSTITUTIONS AT BID QUALIFYING EVENTS
All athletes competing at a Bid Qualifying event must be listed on the official roster as active athletes and compete on Day 1. Should a team need to make any substitutions on Day 2 at the Bid Qualifying event, they will be allowed to replace a limited number of active athletes with reserve athletes for the second performance. The athletes that took the floor on Day 1 will be considered the original team members on the Worlds Roster. Any reserve athletes that take the floor on Day 2 will be considered eligible substitutes on the Worlds Roster. The number of athletes that may be replaced on Day 2 is limited:

a small team may replace up to 3 athletes

a medium team may replace up to 4 athletes

a large team may replace up to 5 athletes

NOTE: The coach of the team is responsible for communicating any replacements or substitutions from Day 1 to Day 2 to the event producer. The event producer will note any changes made from Day 1 to Day 2 on the roster that was submitted by the team. Day 2 substitutions must meet all the eligibility requirements to compete as an athlete at that particular bid qualifier representing said team.

ATHLETE ELIGIBILITY LIMITS: EARNING MULTIPLE PAID BIDS
Athletes within the same program are limited to the number of teams on which they are eligible to compete and earn paid or partial-paid bids. Once an athlete has competed for a team and earned a paid or partial-paid bid, the athlete is permitted to move to another team within his or her program. If the athlete's second team earns a paid or partial-paid bid, they are bound to the second team and may only compete with the second team at Worlds. The athlete is no longer eligible to compete with the first team once the second team is awarded a paid or partial-paid bid.

The number of athletes that have already earned a paid bid that are eligible to compete for and be awarded a paid or partial-paid bid on a second team is limited:

a small team may have up to 3 athletes that have previously been awarded a paid or partial-paid bid

a medium team may have up to 4 athletes that have previously been awarded a paid or partial-paid bid

a large team may have up to 5 athletes that have previously been awarded a paid or partial-paid bid

Roster Violations Any team or program found to be in violation of rostering guidelines at Bid Qualifying events and/or The Cheerleading World Championship is subject to disciplinary action that may include, but is not limited to, disqualification, fines, denied participation in future events and/or membership revocation.

Information will be available in the Worlds Bid packet, posted on USASF.net and provided to bid recipients. Best of luck this season!